Published in Scribblory’s Memento Magazine – November 2025 Issue
“Ayaw ko na,” she said, “kasi pag annulment, hahalungkatin ulit lahat eh, ayaw ko nang alalahanin pa ulit.” Her words completely caught me off guard. I simply nodded. My heart ached for her. I didn’t really know what it felt like, but I could feel the heaviness in her words.
She became the mother I needed after my real one passed away. I used to work for her as a reliever in a small insurance company; and after I became an agent, I got to spend even more time with her. She had told me her life story and I also told her mine which eventually led to us becoming closer. We were just catching up since we don’t often see each other that much. I always try to keep our conversations light and positive, but our topics always seemed to drift towards her marriage. She and her husband separated. He cheated on her. It already happened years ago, but her pain was still fresh. She clearly hadn’t fully moved on yet. She was left with her two kids – a boy and a girl. Fortunately, the father was still very much active with her kids’ lives.
“Hindi po ba kayo nahihirapan, na kayo lahat – work, bahay, anak?” I asked, carefully filtering the words in my head, hoping not to offend her in some way.
“Hindi naman, sanay na ko,” she said, in a tone I couldn’t seem to understand. I repeated those words in my head as we drove away, reflecting on what she really meant. Again, I simply nodded, just so it wouldn’t feel like I left the conversation hanging. I let out a slightly heavy sigh and then the air became awkwardly silent.
My curiosity wanted to ask more questions, hoping talking things out would ease some heavy loads for her, but I decided not to anymore because it seemed to only add more weight. Her shoulders were already tired of carrying the burdens that her husband left on her.
The silence continued for another mile, and my mind kept running, thinking of new topics to talk about. I just wanted to lighten up the mood, but I couldn’t seem to find the right words to say. I knew finding them might comfort her, but I also hoped my quiet presence was already enough. Suddenly, her phone rang and my chest found a sudden excuse to relax.
Oh, how I wish, that things were better for her. She is a good person, I knew that, and she doesn’t deserve any of this, but life chose her. I don’t completely agree with separation in general, but I also don’t really have a say on that matter. She simply did what was best for herself and her kids. That is a quiet strength only mothers know – and I truly respect her for that.
I just hoped I could somehow understand her pain and where she was coming from. She was always there when I need her, so in a way, I wanted to return the favor. I wasn’t trying to fix things for her; I just wanted to comfort her.
After the call, I decided to ask her about the kids. In fact, she loves talking about them. She mentioned her son doing well in his studies, talked about his girlfriend, and told me how proud she is for having an independent, responsible son. She also shared stories about her daughter, who loves boyish things which she actually finds surprising given that she, herself, loves embracing her femininity. At last, I could finally sense her spirit lifting up, and I actually saw her smile while talking. I found myself smiling, too. The air was no longer heavy. It was finally light and warm.
Thankfully, I found the right words to say and I’m glad that I was able to turn things around before we reached my stop. In my head, I knew we could no longer bring back the past. The damage has been done, but it doesn’t mean we can’t continue with our lives. Even though it was still hard for her, she decided to accept things as they were and move forward with grace.
She never chased or begged for him to stay; she simply walked away from the life she didn’t deserve. And in that moment, I knew exactly that it was her kids that kept her going. The pain might still be fresh, but she has already come a long way to bring joy back into her life again.